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Learning Experience Trip to Italy

"An amazing experience."

That was just one reaction after 19 students and four adults spent June 13-20 visiting Italy as part of a learning experience trip.

"The trip was certainly educational and we enjoyed the Italian culture," said social studies teacher Tony Ricciuto '74. "Italy is the most popular country for students to visit according to travel magazines. Pope Francis proclaimed this the Holy Year of Mercy. It was great to be in Italy during this time and visit churches where Pope Francis visited."

The group traveled to Assisi (the home of St. Frances), Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano and Rome.

"My favorite place was most definitely Assisi because it was just so beautiful," shared Taja Ford '18. "It was a smaller town and easy to navigate, but it had so much history and good food. You could just see the beauty and history in every step you took."

Some of the activities the group did on the trip included visiting the Cathedral of St. Francis in Assisi, looking through the Great Renaissance art collection throughout Florence, visiting the Square of Miracles and the Leaning Bell Tower in Pisa, and exploring The Colosseum, Vatican City, and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

"It was an amazing experience and I hope that everyone can go through something like this at some point in their lives," Ford emphasized.

"This was a great opportunity for the students as more and more universities are checking resumes for travel experience, and this goes on a student's permanent record at CJ," Ricciuto added. "We have several former traveling students who are now traveling/studying abroad and pursuing international careers."

Ricciuto said another trip to Italy will be in the works for 2018, with organizing for the trip beginning in January of 2017.